System Hacking - Definition, How to Hack & Phases

As technology advances, people develop new methods and ways to get into the system. In this blog, we will understand the world of  System Hacking.

Table of Contents

• What is System Hacking?
• Phases of System Hacking
• Different Methods of System Hacking
• Countermeasure and System Defence
• Conclusion

What is System Hacking?

System hacking is the phase of hacking in which attackers try to steal critical information by gaining unauthorized access to a computer system or network and exploiting its vulnerabilities. For example, a recent attack on Hoys Corporation involved an attacker who planned to use ransomware to gain system access.

Phases of System Hacking

There are five phases in hacking. It includes –

• Footprinting – Used to gather as much information about the target.
• Scanning – Used the information obtained from the first step for further analysis.
• Gaining access –Taking control of the target system.
• Maintaining access – Gains more data from the targeted environment.
• Covering tracks – Remove traces of detecting the attack.

Now, let’s see all the phases in detail.

1. Footprinting

Footprinting is the process of gathering as much information as possible about a target, including organisation, system, and network information.

Several footprinting tools are used to gather data, such as –

• Crawling – Surf the internet to gain information.
• Whois – To get a whois record of the target.
• Search engines – Google, Bing, and other search sites to get data
• Netcraf – It is a tool to gather data about servers.
• Nslookup – Querying DNS server to extract information
• The Harvester – Used to catalog email and subdomains.

2. Network scanning

This is the second step after footprinting. Information obtained from the first step will be used for further analysis. In this phase, we will see open ports and services for further exploration.

The attackers try to find vulnerable systems by scanning the networks. There are three types of scanning –

• Port scanning – Used to find open ports
• Network scanning – Used to find the IP address
• Vulnerability scanning – find weaknesses or vulnerabilities

Techniques used for scanning are –

• Crafted packets
• TCP scans
• UDP scans
• Ping sweeps

Common Scanning tools are –

• Nmap – Used for network scanning to find open ports and services.
• Nessus – To find vulnerabilities in the ports.
• Nexpose – Similar to Nessus

3. Gaining Access

So here, attackers use several methods and techniques to get maximum access. such as :

• Password Cracking: Methods like brute force, dictionary attack, rule-based attack, and rainbow table are used. Bruteforce tries all combinations of the password. A dictionary attack tries a list of meaningful words until the password matches. The rainbow table compares the password’s hash value with pre-computed hash values until a match is discovered.
• Password Attacks: These include passive attacks such as wire sniffing and replay attacks, active online attacks such as Trojans, keyloggers, hash injection, and phishing, offline attacks such as pre-computed hash, distributed network, and rainbow, and non-electronic attacks such as shoulder surfing, social engineering, and dumpster diving.

Some common Exploitation tools are –

• MEDUSA is an authentication network-based tool that helps us get into the target system.
• Hydra – Used as network login cracker.
• Metasploit – Used various inbuilt scripts and methods to crack passwords

4. Maintaining Access

Once you gain access to the system using various password-cracking password cracking methods, the next step is maintaining access. To remain undetected, one has to secure their presence. To ensure the system is secure, the hacker can install a hidden infrastructure to keep access to the backdoor open. Trojan horses, covert channels, and rootkits are used. A trojan horse provides access at the application level and is used to gain remote access. A covert channel is where the data can be sent through secret communication tunnels. A rootkit is a malware type that hides from the system. They conceal their identities to bypass computer security measures.

5. Covering Tracks

All the attack traces, such as log files and intrusion detection system alarms, are removed to cover the tracks. Once the hacker leaves the system, all files and folders created are removed, and logs and registries are modified. Using reverse HTTP shells and ICMP tunnels also helps cover all the attack traces.

Now, let’s see how we can get detailed access to different kinds of systems.

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Different Methods of System Hacking

1. Hacking Linux Based system

Linux is an operating system based on Unix. It results from various changes over the years, as it is open source and has good community support.

The attacker used various ways to exploit the Linux system

• Using shadow file to get into Linux system.
• The second way to enter the system is by bypassing the user’s password.
• Another way to get into the system is by looking into kernel details and finding vulnerabilities for that version.

2. Hacking Mac OS

Getting into Mac OS is not easy for attackers, but as technology advances, attackers are developing ways to start getting into the Mac system, such as

• Python and Ruby-based scripts are used to bypass the system’s antivirus.
• An attacker uses a brute-force technique to get a hash to crack the password.
• An attacker can configure a backdoor in single-user mode
• The backdoor, by use as an entry point, can be accessed from anywhere

3. Hacking Android phone

• As most people are using Android-based smartphones, it’s easy for attackers to exploit them. There are various ways, like
• Android phones can be hacked by installing malware on target phones.
• By sung Metasploit to create a shell terminal to get access to the target phone
• Using Android SDK to get into the victim’s phone.
• Using various keyloggers to get credentials.
• Using Spy apps and Android debug bridge for further exploitation.

4. Hacking Windows

Various techniques are used to exploit Windows. Tools such as Metasploit and Nmap can be used for further exploitation. People also use social engineering to get into the system, and once they have access, they can alter things without getting caught.

Following preventive measures can be taken to combat hackers:

1. OS Updates

Frequently updating the operating system keeps hackers from accessing your system through vulnerabilities in outdated programs.

2. Security Updates

Organisations must update all security updates and the latest software to fix any existing loopholes.

3. DBan

Organisations must use DBan to erase all data on their devices before reselling or disposing of them to reduce the risk of data extraction.

4. Smart Emailing

Organisations must inform their workers to verify the subject and sender header in emails to avoid phishing attacks

5. Off-cloud

The organisation must avoid storing critical information in the cloud to prevent risk hacking.

6. Online Security tools

Organisations should use various built-in tools that are available online to save themselves from cyber attacks.

7. Network strengthening

Organisations should use highly encrypted passwords and need to set up their virtual networks to save them from cyber attacks.

8. Internet Security Suite

The organisation must use good security packages to protect itself from cyber-attacks and exploitation. The best solution to prevent cyber-related attacks is to get a good security suite.

9. Training

Webinars and meetups will be arranged for employees to get information about cyberattacks and how hackers steal data. Training sessions have become crucial to informing employees about cybersecurity threats, modes, and precautions.

10. Endpoint Protection

Some networks are remotely bridged to devices. Laptops, computers, and mobile devices are connected to corporate networks, allowing security threats to penetrate. Such paths require endpoint protection software.

11. Firewall

Installing a firewall has been proven to defy significant cyberattacks. Firewalls tend to block brute-force attacks on the computer system before they can damage the network or files.

Conclusion

Now that we know about system hacking and its phases, we can strengthen our network and system to avoid all these threats. By applying the knowledge gained from cyber security training, we can use our hacking skills for good and create a safer internet for everyone.